GoKawiilIce scientist Ines Otosaka says the Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland, for example, is now retreating up to 164 feet a day. About 12.5 trillion tons (11.3 trillion metric tons) of ice from glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica have melted since 1979, which is enough frozen water to stack ice 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep across the continental United States, according to a major scientific report.A warming Earth is accelerating the melting of the planet’s two major ice sheets, with five-sixths of the melt not coming from hotter air, but from warmer waters eating away at the ice sheets from below and the sides, with glaciers flowing into the oceans, according to a study in Wednesday’s journal Scientific Data. That’s bad news for future sea level rise, the study’s authors said.“The ice sheets are melting away fast,” said study co-author Eric Rignot, an ice scientist at University of California, Irvine. “We are melting the polar regions, sea level is rising worldwide and will exacerbate the vulnerability of coastal regions.”
Over 12 trillion tons of Earth’s polar ice has melted, as scientists warn about sea-level rise
Why This Matters
A comprehensive scientific report finds that Earth's polar ice sheets have lost over 12 trillion tons of ice since 1979, with most of the melting driven by warmer ocean waters eroding ice from below rather than warmer air. This accelerating loss is a major driver of global sea-level rise, posing growing risks to coastal cities and infrastructure worldwide, which affects planning, insurance, and climate policy across industries.
Key Takeaways
- About 12.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from Greenland and Antarctica since 1979—enough to cover the continental U.S. in 5 feet of ice.
- Roughly five-sixths of the melting is caused by warmer ocean water attacking glaciers from below and the sides, not just warmer air.
- Scientists warn this accelerating ice loss will worsen sea-level rise and increase risks for coastal communities globally.
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